Women with high levels of vitamin D ‘are almost a third more likely to survive breast cancer’

US researchers followed 1,666 sufferers who provided samples within two months of diagnosis

By TOM TOWERS

14th November 2016, 2:21 am

Updated: 14th November 2016, 6:09 pm

WOMEN are almost a third more likely to survive breast cancer if they have high levels of vitamin D when diagnosed.

US researchers followed 1,666 sufferers who provided samples within two months of diagnosis.

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US researchers followed 1,666 sufferers who provided samples

They found women with the highest levels of vitamin D had a 30 per cent greater chance of survival.

Researchers believe its benefit to breast cancer patients may be related to its role in promoting normal cell development and inhibiting the reproduction of cancer cells - effectively killing them off.

Previous research has shown that low levels of vitamin D among premenopausal women are associated with advanced tumours.

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They found women with the highest levels of vitamin D had a 30 per cent greater chance of survival

A deficiency has also been associated with a triple-negative tumour - a rare but aggressive form found in one in five cases.

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Associate Professor of Oncology Dr Song Yao of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, said: "Compared with studies of breast cancer risk, only a few have examined the association of vitamin D status with prognosis.

"With the extremely rich data sources from a large sample size, we were able to prospectively analyse three major breast cancer outcomes - recurrence, second primary cancer and death.

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Previous research has shown that low levels of vitamin D among premenopausal women are associated with advanced tumours

"We were also able to adjust for multiple possible contributing factors that could influence vitamin D levels such as age, obesity, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and several tumor characteristics that are known to influence breast cancer outcomes in order to ensure that the effects we observed were independent of these factors."

However they cautioned that the study, published by JAMA Oncology, did not prove causality and there might still be other factors involved.

Vitamin D is obtained from sunlight and is found in fatty fish oils.

It strengthens bones, and a lack of it has been linked to several cancers.